An early April event co-hosted by the Program for Mastery in Engineering Studies (PROMES) and the Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering (TAME) brought more than 150 students from 18 local middle and high schools to the campus of the University of Houston's Cullen College of Engineering.
For a full photo gallery from the event with more than 100 images, check out our Flickr account here!
PROMES engages in community outreach as the regional university partner for the Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering (TAME). TAME works with local independent school districts to create experiences for students from underrepresented groups to explore futures in engineering.
Jennifer Luna-Singh, the Director of PROMES and Instructional Assistant Professor, coordinated the one-day engineering competition.
“PROMES was thrilled to bring the TAME Gulf Coast Regional Competition back to campus for the first time since February 2020,” she said. “Many participants at the competition have never been to a college campus, and spending an entire day on campus while interacting with current engineering students opens up new pathways and opportunities for participants.”
Shell, Chevron Phillips and PPG Industries sponsored the event. More than 50 UH undergraduate engineering students volunteered, serving as mentors for the students and judges for their work.
During the competition, students were challenged to solve a problem relating to the transportation of clean water, which is a topic they've been learning about in TAME Clubs. TAME plans the Engineering Competition, including the engineering design challenge, while UH executes the competition with its volunteers and facilities.
“PROMES has a longstanding relationship with TAME and looks forward to hosting the competition and growing its activities with TAME in the future,” Luna-Singh said.
There are currently 14 TAME Chapters across the state, spanning from West Texas to the Rio Grande Valley to Houston and to Amarillo, and most points in-between. The Gulf Coast TAME Chapter, which maps to the TEA's Region 14 and encompasses the Houston metro area, features 22 participating schools and more than 350 enrolled students.
"Collaboration has been part of our DNA since our start in 1976. We knew cross-sector partnerships were critical to ensuring more Texas students could visualize and pursue an engineering career,” said Andrea Herrera Moreno, the Executive Director of TAME. “From hosting the Gulf Coast TAME Engineering Competition to helping us connect our alumni to the Cullen College of Engineering, our partnership with PROMES and UH has been and continues to be a critical component of the Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering for more than a decade!”
PROMES (pronounced "promise") provides engineering students with recruitment, academic advising, workshops, scholarships and development opportunities. The organization's mission is to provide a positive learning environment that supports the needs of undergraduate students. For more information, visit its website.
For more information about TAME, visit its website.